The Clinton presidency and the analysis of political scandal

Abstract

This study analyses the usefulness of recent offerings from scholars, such as John Thompson, that have aimed to bring a greater understanding of the subject of political scandal, by applying them to case studies of authentic political scandals during the Clinton Presidency. Academics have attempted to discover a more authoritative definition of a political scandal and have suggested tentative theories to explain the phases of high and low scandal activity that have been experienced throughout history, this is no more evident than in the United States. By applying these offerings to the highly detailed examinations of the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals, this study argues that the academic theories, thus far, are found to have limitations when faced with complex, modem political scandals in the United States. While this study does not offer a theory on political scandal of its own, it suggests that, although important contributions have been made, that more academic work is required to gain a greater understanding to potentially develop a new theory on political scandal.